Australian Designers to Be Showcased at Pitti Uomo

SYDNEY — Australia will be the guest nation at the 92nd edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo, which is due to run from June 13 to 16 at the Florence Fortezza.

The initiative is to be formally unveiled on May 24 by Pitti Immagine chief executive officer Raffaello Napoleone at Sydney restaurant Bondi Icebergs, the Italian men’s wear trade show said here Wednesday.

“We are honored to present a special showcase ‘Guest Nation Australia’ at the next edition of Pitti Uomo in June,” Napoleone said. “We have been strengthening our relations with this country for a while, working closely with the Australian institutions promoting fashion abroad. Australia is becoming one of the most interesting — and quickly growing — places in fashion and creativity today. We want to highlight the essence of Australian design and lifestyle, with a selection of cutting edge fashion designers and brands, within a global platform as Pitti Uomo and its audience of international top buyers, media and fashion key players.”

For several years, the Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery has used the trade show to shine a spotlight on emerging creative talent from around the world across fashion and the arts. In recent seasons, guest featured nations have included Turkey, Denmark, Africa, South Korea and the Ukraine.

The showcase is to supported by Woolmark and the Australian Fashion Chamber.

“The Guest Nation project is a great initiative by Fondazione Pitti Discovery as a way of highlighting regional talent,” said The Woolmark Co. managing director Stuart McCullough. “The selection of Australia this year is an acknowledgement of the impact the Australian fashion industry is having at a global level. Having these young talents present wool throughout their collections also reaffirms the versatility of wool.”